Oct 11th, 2014

Stand-up desks. A fade contrived by creative business to generate new business and shareholder value? Or valid science and research linking sitting all day with real life threatening dangers? At first glance, my inclination is just another fade to come and go .. plan to skip this one.

STOP! Press rewind. Hit play.

The question is not, is the latest stand-up desk fade really worth the effort and money? Instead, do the health costs, dangers, i.e. mental health, cancer, death out weight the monetary setback?

We mortals are all but shadows and dust. Shadows and dust.

Proximo from Gladiator

Ultimately, the health warnings and dangers of sitting for 10-15 hours a day finally rang true after promising my young son we would do a triathlon together. The countless articles warning of the dangers couldn’t convince me. You know ….

Don’t let sitting all day kill you

Siting Your Life Away

21 Ways To Stay Healthy When You Sit At a Desk All Day

Sitting all Day Is Really Bad for You

The health hazards of sitting

However, the reality of leaving my son, kids too early, not being able to complete our triathlon, and not setting an example of good health in the ever challenging workplace hit home hard. Here is a short list of the health dangers.

Worse mental health

A higher risk of death from heart disease and other causes

A higher risk of being disabled

Colon Cancer

Mushy Abs

Strained neck

Sore Shoulders and Back

Poor Circulation

Increased consumption of sugary foods

Of course the Internal is littered with expensive stand-up desks available. The goal, find an inexpensive setup to try out before going all in. Bingo! Found an article on IKEA Hackers site claiming a stand-up desk build for $25 is achievable with ease.

IKEA Hackers Standard Build Cost: $21.98

Lack side table – $7.99

Viktor Shelf – $5.99

Ekby Valter bracket $4.00 x 2

Screws from home: free.

After a little research, planning and much deliberation my colorful design cost $60.29 total. Leveraged existing IKEA Galant desk as the baseline for the stand-up desk build. My chair is now shadow and dust! Recommend researching your building prior to running with mine and take special note of the suggested alignment diagram in references. With measurements in hand then determine the build necessary for you.

Standard IKEA Build Cost: $52.55

IKEA Lack side table – $7.99 X 3

IKEA Ekby OSTEN Shelf – $9.99

IKEA Ekby Valter bracket $4.00 x 2

ACE Hardware Wood Screws 1 ½ inches 10 course: 0.15 x 4

Colorful IKEA Build Cost: $60.29

One side of the IKEA Ekby OSTEN Shelf board spray painted Key Lime and other painted Real Orange, allowing me to switch based on my mood.